Spinning machine utilizing centrifugal force and flow of air



Nov. 16, 1965 AKIRA KATO ETAL SPINNING MACHINE UTILIZING GENTRIFUGAL FORCE AND FLOW OF AIR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 12, 1963 Nov. 16, 1965 AKIRA KATO ETAL SPINNING MACHINE UTILIZING CENTRIFUGAL FORCE AND FLOW OF AIR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 12, 1963 FIG.

Nov. 16, 1965 AKIRA KATO ETAL 3,217,483

SPINNING MACHINE UTILIZING CENTRIFUGAL FORCE AND FLOW OF AIR Filed June 12, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 16, 1965 AKIRA KATO ETAL SPINNING MACHINE UTILIZING CENTRIFUGAL FORCE AND FLOW OF AIR 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 12, 1963 SPINNING MACHINE UTILIZING GENTRIFUGAL FORCE AND FLOW OF AIR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 12, 1963 Ii QIIQQQQQQQQQ .l! I. Q I ll 1. Q J H \\\m l l I. m L Y II 7| I. ".l l' lll \\\I \ii\-ii\\\--!ii\\--\\\wiwnm\\\ 3,217,483 SPINNING MACHINE UTllLlZING CENTRIFUGAL FORCE AND FLGW OF AIR Akira Kato and Ryo Kanasaki, Asa-gun, Japan, assignors to Mitsubishi Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Limited, Tokyo, Japan Filed June 12, 1963, Ser. No. 287,341 Claims priority, application Japan, Oct. 30, 1962, 37/ 48,038 3 Claims. (CI. 5776) This invention relates to a spinning frame for twisting and winding cotton, worsted or artificial yarns by utilizing centrifugal force and a flow of air, and more particularly to an air exhaust device incorporated into a yarn twisting and take-up unit of such spinning frame.

As well known, the conventional type of centrifugal spinning frames adapted to wind yarns on internal walls of take-up cylinders rotating at a high speed includes a unit for processing roving or yarns, said unit comprising take-up cylinders disposed on a machine frame, a creel disposed above the take-up cylinders to suspend sliver bobbins, a group of draft or feed rollers for each cylinder to draft and feed the sliver pulled out from the creel and two or three thin tubes through which the yarn fed by the group of draft rollers is passed to the associated takeup cylinder. The last one of the above-mentioned thin tubes referred to as a yarn guiding tube serves to draw radially the yarn from a port at its free extremity toward the internal wall of the take-up cylinder and to effect traverse motion of the drawn-out yarn whereby the twisted yarn is wound in layers on the internal wall of the cylinder. The yarn guiding tube is arranged to be inserted into the take-up cylinder for reciprocating movement in the axial direction of the same.

The many of the take-up cylinders presently used with such a centrifugal spinning frame are open at the top and includes at its lower end a bottom including a shaft secured thereto and journalled by a bearing and adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis through an endless belt, a gearing, an electromagnetic force, etc. The yarn guiding tube referred to is maintained coaxially of the taking up cylinder and is inserted into the cylinder through its open end.

In order to protect the taking up cylinder from damage by any external cause, to prevent an operator from being injured due to his incidental contact with the taking up cylinder and to decrease a windage loss due to high speed rotation of the cylinder, the same has been in many cases surrounded by a protective casing substantially circular cross section and provided on the upper surface with a movable cover.

With the arrangement as above described, a rotational movement of the take-up cylinder at a high speed causes air in the vicinity of the internal wall thereof to be accelerated to discharge from the upper end to thereby reduce the pressure of air adjacent to the longitudinally central axis of the cylinder. In addition, if the protective casing would include a leakage opening, then a steady stream of air will occur in which air flows downwardly through the yarn guiding tube and exhausts from the casing. This facilitates the introduction of the yarn delivered by the draft rollers.

With the introduction of yarn effected by such a flow or stream of air, an amount of inlet air should be, as a matter of course, changed in accordance with such parameters as the diameter of the yarn, the speed at which the yarn is fed, the elasticity of filaments forming the yarn, the configuration and dimension of a suction port, etc. If the flow rate of air is unduly low a yarn is dimcult to be sucked into the yarn guiding tube. The automatic spinning operation is difiicult to be initiated.

United States Patent On the contrary, if the flow rate of air is unduly high the yarn travels unevenly within the taking up cylinder and therefore is likely to be unevenly wound in layers on the internal wall of the cylinder. Therefore, it is desirable to control the suction force or the amount of inlet air in accordance with the yarn feeding speed and the speed of rotation of the take-up cylinder for the purpose of performing the spinning operation under the optimum conditions.

It is also noted that, in the centrifugal type of spinning machines, a large percentage of a motive power is used to drive taking up cylinders at a high speed. The greater part of all the power for driving the cylinder is converted into an energy of heat on the taking up cylinders to thereby increase a temperature of air flowing beside the same. Further, if the air thus heated is discharged either through a nozzle or nozzles formed on the associated protective casing or through a clearance between the casing and a cover therefor. Alternatively the heated air may heat the outer surface of the casing to an elevated temperature. This causes a spinning room to be locally increased in temperature so that it becomes difiicult to maintain the room at the proper temperature and relative humidity. In turn entanglement of yarns will occur or a decrease in the quality of the yarn will occur.

Thus for the purpose of smoothly operating the spinning machines it is one of the serious problems to properly compensate for variation in temperature and relative humidity due to a large quantity of heat produced by the take-up cylinders.

Therefore, the experts having an interest in centrifugal spinning machines are desirous of a more effective and economical method capable of sufliciently controlling the temperature and relative humidity in an operating space and more particularly compensating for variation in temperature and relative humidity resulting from heat generated by taking up cylinders during their rotational movement.

An object of the invention is accordingly to provide, in the centrifugal type of spinning machines, an improved device for effectively controlling an amount of air serving to suck a roving or a yarn, in accordance with the spinning conditions such as yarn counts, at speed at which the roving or yarn is fed and the like to thereby twist the yarn and wind the roving or yarn on the internal Wall surface of a take-up cylinder with a high efficiency.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in the centrifugal type of spinning machines, an improved device for dissipating heat generated by take-up cylinders rotating at a high speed, externally of a spinning room.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in the centrifugal type of spinning machines, an improved device for preventing heat generated by high speed rotation of take-up cylinders from detrimentally affecting those portions of the machine required to be maintained at a critical temperature and a critical relative humidity, that is, a creel unit and a roller unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide in the centrifugal type of spinning machines, an improved device for discharging air whose temperature is the highest with respect to that of air sucked in, externally of a spinning room.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved device for effectively controlling the temperature and relative humidity of a centrifugal spinning machine. 7

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention resides in a centrifugal spinning machine for twisting and winding a bundle of fibers by utilizing the centrifugal force and a flow of air, comprising a take-up unit including essentially a rotatable taking up cylinder for twisting and winding the bundle of fibers on the internal peripheral surface thereof by the action of the centrifugal force provided by the same rotating at a high speed, a guiding tube of relatively reduced diameter inserted within the taking up cylinder for reciprocating movement along the longitudinal axis of the cylinder, and a protective casing disposed outside and around the external peripheral surface of the taking up cylinder with an annular spacing formed therebetween. The guiding tube is adapted to introduce the bundle of short fibers to be spun or the bundle of long fibers to be twisted, toward the internal peripheral surface of the taking up cylinder. The protective casing is adapted to surround substantially all the sides of the taking up cylinder and also to maintain those portions of the casing through which a rotatory shaft for the taking up cylinder and the guiding tube extend respectively hermetic or airtight as highly as possible. Thus the protective casing seals hermetically the take-up cylinder. The protective casing is provided with an exhaust port communicating with an exhaust pipe which is, in turn, provided with air exhaust means therein.

The invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows an elevational view, partly in longitudinal section of a spinning unit for one spindle in a spinning frame with taking up cylinders open at the upper ends, constructed according to the teachings of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a front view, partly in section of an air exhaust pipe system used with the spinning frame illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a plan view, partly in section of the exhaust pipe system illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a detail of the take-up cylinder illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a fragmental, longitudinal sectional view of a modification of the take-up cylinder;

FIG. 6 shows a front view, partly in section of a spinning unit for a plurality of spindles with a part omitted for the purpose of clarity;

FIG. 7 shows a fragmental sectional view of the spinning unit of FIG. 6 taken along the line VIIVII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows a view similar to FIG. 7 but illustrating a modification of a deflector annulus shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 shows a fragmental perspective view of a protective casing together with flows of air occurring in the casing;

FIG. 10 shows partly in elevation and partly in section a view of another embodiment of the protective casing; and

FIG. 11 shows a view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating a modification of the invention including a taking up cylinder open at the lower end.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated a spinning unit for one spindle in a spinning frame constructed in accordance with the teachings of the invention. The spinning unit illustrated comprises a take up cylinder 1 including an upper open end, a main body of hollow cylindrical shape, a lower portion formed in a curved surface gradually convergent downwardly and a bottom. Rigidly secured on the bottom of the cylinder 1 is a spindle 2 extending through and rotatably journalled on a mounting base 3. The take-up cylinder 1 is adapted to form a multiplicity of roving or yarn layers 4 wound, in the known manner, on the internal peripheral surface of the hollow cylindrical main body thereof during rotational movement at a high speed. A drive pulley 5 is operatively coupled to the spindle 2 through an endless belt 6 engaging that portion of the spindle disposed between the bottom of the cylinder 1 and the mounting base 3 and passed around the pulley 5.

As best shown in FIG. 1 a yarn guide tube 7 is disposed substantially along the longitudinal axis of the taking up cylinder for vertically reciprocating movement with the lower portion extending into the interior of the cylinder. The upper end portion of the yarn guiding tube 7 is held by a holder 8 which, in turn is mounted on a lift device 9 of conventional construction. A supporting tube 10 is loosely fitted onto the yarn guide tube 7 and includes a rewinding tube 11 removably disposed around the external wall of the same. Coaxially disposed above the assembly of tubes 7, 10 and 11 are a tube 12 for sucking a yarn and a tube 13 for sucking a roving located above the tube 12. A group of feed or draft rollers 14 is disposed above the roving tube 13 and serves to feed a roving or yarn 15 from a creel unit (not shown) into the tube 13.

As best seen in FIG. 4, the taking up cylinder 1 is coaxially fitted into an inner cylindrical casing 16 with a very narrow annular clearance formed therebetween. The inner casing 16 includes its bottom portion 17 through which the spindle 2 for the cylinder 1 extends hermetically and is surrounded by an outer casing of rectangular cross section 18 serving to rigidly secure the upper end of the casing 16 thereto. As shown in FIG. 6, the outer casing 18 is arranged to accommodate therein four aligned cylinders 1 as a unit. In other words, one outer casing is pro vided for each four cylinders or four spindles. However, it is to be understood that the outer casing may accommodate therein any suitable number of the cylinders different from that shown. An upper removable casing 19 closes the outer casing 18 at its upper end.

For each spindle or cylinder 1, one deflector annulus 21 for deflecting air depends from the inner surface of the upper casing 19 to cover the peripheral edge of the upper open end portion of the cylinder 1 with a certain annular spacing left between the inner surface of the annulus and the peripheral edge of said upper end portion. The defiector annulus 20 includes a sheet of S-shaped section 21 encircling a half of the circumference of the side wall of one cylinder and a half of the circumference of that side wall of the adjacent cylinder opposed to the first-mentioned side wall, and a pendent lip 22 secured to one end of the sheet 21.

For each spindle or cylinder 1 an apertured cover 23 is hermetically secured to the upper casing 19 by any suitable means and the rewinding tube 11 filled onto the yarn guiding tube 7 extends hermetically through the aperture on the cover 23.

ith the arrangement described it will be appreciated that the taking up cylinder 1 is hermetically sealed by the casings 16, 18 and 19 and the cover 23.

Since the invention concerns the centrifugal type of spinning machines, an air exhaust duct system suitable for use with the same will now be described.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 6, the outer casing 18 is provided on the lower portion on the rear side of the spinning machine with one common air exhaust port 24, for any desired number in this case each four spindles, communicating with an exhaust branch duct 25 extending downwardly. The exhaust branches 25 communicate at the lower ends with a main exhaust pipe 26 disposed substantially horizontally and below a foundation 28 for the spinning frame 27 (see FIG. 2) through the associated flexible connecting tubes 29. The main exhaust pipe 26 is progressively increased in diameter toward its exhaust end. As shown in FIG. 3, a suitable number of the main pipes 26 forms one group and is connected together at the exhaust ends and operatively coupled to a common exhaust blower 30 disposed externally of a room wall 31 (see FIG. 2) and including an exhaust port 32 open upwardly. To monitor a flow of pressurized air used, each exhaust pipe 26 includes a flow meter 33 inserted therein, and damper means 34 disposed downstream of the flow meter 33 with respect to the flow of air. The damper means 34 are adapted to be operated in accordance with an indication on the flow meter 33. In addition, a filter device 35 is provided within the main pipe 26 to remove pieces of yarn and fiber and dusts entrained by the flow of air from the same.

Upon spinning yarns by the arrangement thus far described an electric motor (not shown) connected to the drive pulley 5 can be first energized. The energization of the motor effects rotation of the take-up cylinder 1 through the pulley 5, the endless belt 6 and the spindle 2 rotatably mounted to the mounting base 3. The cylinder 1 may be driven for example at a rate of the order of 20,000 rpm. At the same time, the yarn guide tube 7 pendent within the interior of the cylinder 1 effects vertically reciprocating movement in accordance with the operation of the lift device 9 to which the upper holder 8 for the guiding tube is mounted.

On the other hand, a bundle of short fibers to be spun is fed from a creel unit (not shown) to the group of roller 14 where the same may be drafted. Then the yarn 15 leaving the roller group is delivered to the roving suction tube 13 by the roller group 14 at a suitable speed dependent upon the type and diameter of the yarn. Since the roving suction tube 13 includes a fiow of compressed air supplied thereto by any suitable blower (not shown) the delivered yarn is sucked into the tube 13 by the action of this flow of compressed air. At the same time, the sucked portion of the yarn is twisted to such an extent that the same has a strength sufficient to prevent it from breaking during the subsequent operation. The yarn thus twisted is then fed into the yarn suction tube 12.

Under these circumstances, it will be noted that, as the taking up cylinder 1 is rotated at a rate as high as the order of 20,000 rpm. air in the internal hollow portion of the same tends to flow toward the internal peripheral surface of the cylinder by the action of the centrifugal force and then to be moved upwardly along the internal surface of the cylinder toward the upper open end there of. This causes the portion of air on and adjacent to the longitudinal central axis of the cylinder to be reduced in pressure. Therefore, a flow of air is created which flows through the interior of the yarn guiding tube 7 from its upper to its lower end. This flow of air passing through the guiding tube 7 serves to suck the end portion of the yarn at the entrance of the roving or yarn suction tube 13 or 12 respectively disposed above the yarn guide tube 7 into the latter tube through the yarn suction tube 12 until it reaches the hollow internal portion of the taking up cylinder through the lower end of the tube '7.

The end portion of the yarn leaving the yarn guiding tube 7 within the cylinder 1 is deflected toward the internal surface of the latter. In the vicinity of the internal surface of the cylinder 1 the deflected end portion and the succeeding portion of the yarn are accelerated by a flow of air rotating at a high speed and thereafter they cling to the internal surface of the cylinder 1. At the same time, the lift device 9 is continued to effect vertically reciprocating movement to cause the yarn guiding tube 7 to be reciprocably moved in the vertical direction and along the length of the external periphery of the yarn suction tube 12 in the conventional manner. Thus the rotational movement of the taking up cylinder 1 cooperates with the vertically reciprocating movement of the yarn guiding tube '7 to progressively wind the yarn in layers around the internal peripheral surface of the cylinder 1 while the yarn effects the traverse motion. Eventually a cake of the spun yarn is formed on the internal wall of the taking up cylinder.

In operation, air is continuously introduced into the rotating cylinder 1 through the yarn guide tube 7 and hence an excess of air is required to escape from the interior of the cylinder 1 to the exterior. To this end, the exhaust blowers 30 as previously described in conjunction with FIGS. 2 and 3 can be put in operation. In operation of the blowers 30, the common end of the main exhaust pipes 26 is reduced in pressure whereby air within the associated cylinder 1 is sucked from the same through the upper open end thereof, the annular space between the outer and inner casings 18 and 16, the exhaust branch 25, and the flexible connecting tube 29 into the main exhaust pipe 26 as illustrated by the arrows in FIGS. 1 and 4. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 and as best illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 9, the rotating flow of air passing upwardly along the internal peripheral surface of the taking up cylinder 1 flows substantially horizontally through the deflector annulus 20 formed between the upper open end of the cylinder 1 and the adjacent portion of the upper casing 19 and along the curved plates 21 in the direction of rotation of the cylinder and then is deflected downwardly by the pendent lips 22 provided in substantially facing relationship on the external periphery of the deflect or annulus 20. The flow of air thus deflected passes then into the annular space between the outer and inner casings 18 and 16 and thence to the exhaust branch 25 through the exhaust port 24 formed on the rear lower portion of the outer casing. Then the flow of air stream is passed through the exhaust branch 25 and the flexible connecting tube 29 to the main exhaust pipe 26. The air flowing through the main exhaust tube 26 is exhausted externally of the spinning frame 27 through the exhaust blower 30.

The amount per unit time of exhaust air must be properly selected to provide such an amount per unit time of inlet air that, dependent upon the size of yarn to be spun and its feeding speed, that the bundle of short fibers 15 should be effectively introduced into the yarn guiding tube 7 through the yarn suction tube 12 and also that a cake of yarn being formed on the internal peripheral surface of the rotating cylinder 1 should be prevented from collapsing. Thus the minimum amount per unit time of inlet air has to be determined in accordance with spinning conditions such as the inside diameter of the suction tube 12 at its entrance, a distance between the entrance of the suction tube 12 and the outlet of the yarn guiding tube 7 upon initiation of the spinning operation or the length of the suction tube, the size of the yarn to be spun, the speed at which the yarn is fed and the like.

Experiments were conducted with spinning of woollen worsted yarn by using suction tubes having its inside diameter of 10 mm. and its length of 250 mm. and the following results were obtained.

Metric Yarn feeding Minimum system count speed in flow rate of of finished meters per inlet air in single yarn minute cubic meters per minute Based upon the amount per unit time of inlet air thus predetermined so as to meet sufiiciently the spinning requirements as the case may be, an amount per unit time of exhaust air from the main exhaust pipe 26 can be calculated so as to permit that amount per unit time of inlet air to be introduced into each of the yarn guide tubes 7 associated with that main pipe 26. Then a flow rate of air through the pipe 26 can be set to meet the optimum spinning requirements by reading an indication on the flow meter 33 and accordingly controlling the aperture of the damper means 34.

In this case, by designing and constructing the main exhaust pipe 26 such that its inside diameter is progressively increased toward the exhaust end thereof as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the exhaust branches 25 communicating with the common main pipe can be maintained in the same pressure of air and therefore an amount per unit time of air passing through each of the associated cylinders 1 can be of a common magnitude.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that after the end portion and the succeeding portion of the yarn fed by the group of rollers 14 have been twisted during their passage through the roving suction tube 13 to be imparted an appropriate strength, those portions of the yarn are entrained by a flow of air moved into the entrance of the yarn suction tube 12 to be introduced into the same. The portions of the yarns, leaving the discharge port of the suction tube 12, are caused to reach the internal wall of the taking up cylinder 1 on which the same can be wound in a cake of any desired shape while twisting the same through its traverse motion resulting from the combination of rotational movement of the cylinder 1 and the vertical reciprocating movement of the yarn guiding tube 7.

It is to be understood that, since the taking up cylinder 1 is rotated at a high speed, a considerable amount of heat is generated on the peripheral wall of the cylinder and air in the vicinity thereof due to friction between said peripheral wall and that air portion contacting the same and between the air particles relatively moved.

With the arrangement described, however, almost the amount of heat generated can be effectively dissipated from the spinning room 31 by means of the flow of exhaust air from the associated cylinder 1 through the exhaust branch and the main exhaust pipe 26 to the exterior of the room.

As an example, with respect to a spinning frame including approximately 300 spindles an amount of exhaust air sufficient to remove the total amount of heat generated on the frame will now be calculated.

Such a spinning frame usually has a total power con sumption ranging from 27 to 32 kilowatts and that portion of the total power corresponding to from 16 to 22 kilowatts is converted into heat generated on the taking up cylinder unit. This generated heat increases the temperature of air flowing from the yarn guiding tube 7 into the associated cylinder 1 to such an extent that air on the upper end portion of the cylinder 1 has a temperature of from 33 to 35 C. On the other hand, the spinning room should preferably be kept at a temperature as high as 28 C. and nearly 90% of the amount of heat generated on the taking up cylinder 1 appears to be carried away by air flowing along the cylinder. The amount of generated heat Q to be removed from the cylinder can be expressed by the following equation:

Q=V' C 't where Q=amount of heat carried away in K.cal./ hr.

V=flow rate of air in m. hr.

C =specific heat of air in K.cal./rn. C.,

t=temperature difference between air introduced into the cylinder and air discharged from the same in C.

Substituting the aforesaid requirements and figures of the other parameters in the above equation, the flow rate of air is calculated at V: 140-240 m. /min.

Therefore, as the amount of exhaust air passing through the main exhaust pipe 26 is adjusted to the above figure by properly controlling the exhaust blower 30 and the damper means 33, the amount of heat generated on the taking up cylinder due to friction between the same and air adjacent to the same can be effectively and reliably discharged to the exterior of a spinning room with the result that the temperature in the room is prevented from rising beyond its permissible temperature and simultaneously that no variation in relative humidity of the room occurs. Thus, yarn breakage on creel and roller units is substantially prevented from occurring.

The flow rate of air exhausted from the interior of the taking up cylinder 1 to the exterior of the spinning room in the manner as above described should be determined to provide the flow rate of inlet air required for sucking the bundle of short fibers 15 into the interior of the cylinder 1 and also flow rate of exhaust air required for removing the amount of heat generated due to the high speed rotation of the cylinder. For example, it may be assumed that, in order to spin count No. 32 woolen worsted yarns an inlet air is necessarily introduced into the take-up cylinders at a flow rate of 0.25 m. /mm. for each spindle as previously indicated. Then for one spinning frame including 300 spindles the required flow rate of inlet air will reach approximately mfi/min. In this connection it is to be noted that undesirable air is forced to flow into the interior of the take-up cylinder through a clearance formed between the yarn suction and guiding tubes 12 and 7, clearances formed between the openings on the upper casing 19 and the cover 23 and those portions of the yarn guide tube extending through said openings respectively. By taking into account the undesirable inlet air, the necessary flow rate of exhaust air must amount in the order of m. min. On the other hand, an amount of heat generated on the assumed spinning frame is relatively low and the flow rate of air necessary for removing the heat from the frame can assume its lower limit or m. /min. as previously calculated. With that figure for the flow rate of exhaust air, air at a temperature of 33 C. can be effectively exhausted at room temperature of 28 C. as previously set forth. Consequently, the flow rate of exhaust air is required to be equal to 140 m. /min. under the assumed conditions with the result that the suction effect can be satisfactorily attained while ensuring that any amount of heat generated on and within the taking up cylinder is dissipated externally.

In practicing the invention, however, it is very important that that portion of the cylinders spindle 2 extending through the inner casing 16 and those portions of the yarn guiding tube 7 extending through the outer casing 18 and the cover 23 should be coupled to the associated components in sufliciently hermetic relationship thereby to prevent air from leaking into the interior of the takeup cylinder and also to exhaust air from the interior of the cylinder with a high efliciency. This is very critical particularly in the case of the taking up cylinder rotating at a very high speed.

FIG. 4 illustrates a manner in which the bottom portion 17 of the inner casing 16 can be operatively coupled in hermetic relationship to the spindle 2 for the taking up cylinder 1 adapted to be rotated at a very high speed. As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom portion 17 of the inner casing 16 includes a flared end portion shaped conformably to the adjacent enlarged portion of the spindle 2. With this arrangement, the centrifugal force causes an outward flow of air within a clearance formed between the flared end portion of the inner casing 16 and the adjacent enlarged portion of the spindle 2. This outward flow of air ensures that no external air flows into the interior of the inner casing through said clearance.

In order to further closely couple the bottom portion 17 of the inner casing 16 with the adjacent portion of the spindle 2, the latter may be preferably provided with a plurality of peripheral grooves 36 in the helical form adapted to engage a plurality of annular ridges 37 formed in the shape conformed to the grooves on the internal periphery of the associated bottom portion 17 (see FIG. 5).

FIG. 8 shows a view similar to FIG. 7 but illustrating a modification of the deflector annulus 20. A deflector annulus 20 shown in FIG. 8 comprises a deflecting plate 21 shaped in bilateral symmetry with respect to a pendent lip 22 secured to the adjacent plate 21 at one extremity. If, as in FIG. 7, a taking up cylinder 1 will be rotated in clockwise direction as designated by the solid arrow in FIG. 8 or even if the same will be reversely rotated then air within the cylinder 1 can be guided by the deflector annulus 20 as illustrated by the dotted arrow to flow over the pendent lip 22 into an exhaust port 24 sucu as the port 24 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Thus it will he 9 appreciated that air can be effectively exhausted from the interior of the take-up cylinder 1 in either case of left-hand or right-hand twist.

Referring now to FIG. of the drawings, there is illustrated a modification of the arrangement of FIGS. 1 through 9 somewhat simplified in construction. In FIG. 10 the like reference numerals have been employed to identify components similar to those illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9. An arrangement illustrated in FIG. 10 includes, in addition to a taking up cylinder 10 such as that previously described, an inner casing 16 of relatively large inside diameter surrounding the cylinder 1 to form an annular passage for exhaust air therebetween. The inner casing 16 is provided on its lower end portion with an exhaust port 24 adapted to communicate with a main exhaust pipe such as the pipe 26 already described in conjunction with FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive. With the arrangement illustrated, air in the interior of the take-up cylinder 1 rotating at a high speed can flow from the upper open end of the same through the air passage formed between the cylinder 1 and the inner casing .16 into the exhaust port 24. Thus the arrangement shown in FIG. 10 eliminates the necessity of providing any defiector means such as the deflector annulus provided adjacent the upper open end of the taking up cylinder 1. In other respects, the arrangement is substantially similar to the device shown in FIGS. 1 through 9 and need not be further described.

Referring now to FIG. 11 of the drawings, there is illustrated another embodiment of the invention including a taking up cylinder having its configuration turned upside down as compared with the take-up cylinder 1 as previously described in conjunction with FIGS. 1 through 10. A taking up cylinder again designated by the reference numeral 1 includes its lower open end and its upper end portion providing a hollow neck portion 40. Fitted onto the hollow neck portion is a driven pulley 41 engaged by and supported to a pulley 41 and driven by an endless belt 6 which, in turn, may be driven by any suitable drive (not shown).

As in the embodiments previously described a yarn guiding tube 7 together with a supporting tube 10 surrounding the same extends hermetically through the hollow portion of the neck portion 40 for sliding movement and projects into the interior of the take-up cylinder 1 along the longitudinal axis thereof. The yarn guiding tube 7 is adapted to effect vertically reciprocating movement by a lift device schematically designated by the reference numeral 9.

A cylindrical casing 43 surrounds the taking up cylinder 1 and includes its lower open end detachably connected to a rockable exhaust branch 25 which, in turn, communicates with a main exhaust pipe 26 through a flexible connecting tube 29.

' In operation air is introduced into the interior of the taking up cylinder 1 through the yarn guiding tube 7 and then project a bundle of fibers 15 such as a yarn or roving upon the internal peripheral surface of the cylinder 1 in the same manner as previously described whereby a spool of yarn or roving is formed on said surface. Therefore, air flows downwardly along the internal surface of the cylinder until the same flows into the exhaust branch 25. With the arrangement illustrated, air in the interior of the taking up cylinder can be easily exhausted from the same as compared with the device illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9 or FIG. 10. Thus its efficiency of operation will be improved.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, according to the invention, the exhaust of air from the interior of the taking up cylinder 1 of the spinning machine to the exterior of the spinning room can effectively cause a flow of inlet air from the spinning room through the yarn guide tube 7 into the interior of the cylinder whose intensity is sufficient to cause the bundle of short fibers 15 to get from the entrance of the yarn suction tube 12 to the internal peripheral surface of the cylinder through the yarn guide tube 7. This prevents the bundle of short fibers 15 from gathering on the entrance of the roving or yarn suction tube 13 or 12 and hence from being not sucked into said entrance. In addition, the invention allows air heated by the friction between the same and the rotating take-up cylinder 1 tobe discharged externally of the spinning room but not to be discharged in the vicinity of the spinning frame whereby the spinning room can have its temperature and relative humidity prevented from fluctuating. This eliminates effectively the occurrence of yarn breakage due to any variation in temperature and relative humidity of the spinning room during the spinning operation. Thus the spinning efiiciency is greatly increased.

As previously described, the flow rate of exhaust air should be selected in accordance with the spinning conditions such as the size of the yarn to be spun, the speed to feed yarn and the like. Preferably, the flow rate of exhaust air may be progressively increased as a cake or spool of yarn formed on the internal surface of the taking up cylinder is increased in thickness, that is to say, as a radius of that cylindrical surface on which the yarn is Wound. This can compensate for a decrease in tension of the yarn with which the yarn is delivered from the group of rollers 14 and accordingly can prevent the possible entanglement of the bundle of fibers 15 on and adjacent to the roller group.

As previously described, the invention has disclosed a taking up cylinder 1 with the upper open end operatively coupled to a bottom portion 17 of an inner casing 16 and a yarn guide tube 7 operatively coupled to the cover 23 such that clearances therebetween should be as small as possible for the purpose of enhancing the hermetic prop erty of those clearances. This decreases an amount of air leaking into the interior of the take-up cylinder through each of the clearances and the windage loss is reduced. In addition, almost all air flowing in the interior of the take-up cylinder 1 is directly carried away externally of the room and therefore any high frequency sound caused by the flow of air will be dissipated externally of the room resulting in reduction in loudness of noise occurring during the spinning operation. It is to be noted that the outer casing 18, the exhaust port 24 and the exhaust branch 25 may be advantageously made of any suitable, thermally and acoustically insulating material, for example synthetic resin and the like, for the purpose of promoting the soundproof effect and of eliminating transfer of heat from those components to the interior of the room.

After a cake or spool of yarn has been formed on the internal peripheral surface of the cylinder 1 the operation of the spinning frame can be stopped. At that time, pieces of yarn and fiber attached to the internal peripheral surface of the cylinder will fall and accumulate on the bottom of the cylinder in the case the latter is closed at its lower end. In order to remove such pieces of yarn and fiber the yarn guiding tube 7 can be lowered to its lowermost position such as that shown in FIG. 10 followed by driving of the exhaust blower 30. This causes the pieces of yarn and fiber accumulated on the bottom of the cylinder to be thrown up. Then, the pieces of yarn and fiber are entrained by a flow of air passed to the main exhaust pipe 26 in the manenr as previously described util the same are filtered out by the filter device 35 disposed in the pipe 26 in the manner as previously described until the same therein the pieces of yarn and fiber can be removed at times from the main exhaust pipe 26 and cleaned up. Thus, the taking up cylinder 1 will be fully cleaned up.

This saves appreciable time and labor when the cylinder is removed to be cleaned.

In the case several spinning frames are collectively exhausted as shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning operation may be advantageously performed such that only one frame intended to be cleaned is exhausted with the main exhaust pipes 26 associated with the remaining frames being closed by the respective dampers 34. This exerts a high suction force on the frame being exhausted to improve the cleaning effect.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with certain embodiments thereof it is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

1. In a spinning machine for twisting and winding a bundle of fibers by utilizing centrifugal force and a fiow of air, a take-up unit comprising a rotatably driven hollow take-up cylinder member for twisting and winding a plurality of fibers on the internal peripheral surface thereof by the action of the centrifugal force caused by the high speed rotational movement of the cylinder member, a rotary shaft for driving said cylinder member, an open end guide tube of relatively reduced diameter disposed to be inserted coaxially into said take-up'cyl-inder member for relatively reciprocating movement along the axis thereof and operable to introduce the fibers toward said internal peripheral surface of said take-up cylinder member by means of a flow of air therethrough, casing means surrounding the guide tube and said take-up cylinder member, means in said casing means for maintaining a portion of said rotary shaft for said take-up cylinder member and a portion of said guide tube extending through said casing means substantial-1y airtight with said casing means, said casing means having an exhaust port sufficiently large in area and presenting a low resistance to a flow of air therethrough, an exhaust pipe communicating with said exhaust port, an exhaust blower means, and control means for 12 controlling the rate of flow of air through said exhaust pipe.

2. A spinning machine as claimed in claim 1, in which said casing means comprises an inner casing member open at the upper end and surrounding said take-up cylinder member and an outer casing member surrounding said inner casing member and defining a space therebetween, said outer casing member including said large exhaust port presenting a low resistance to a flow of air therethrough, and a guiding member provided on the edge of the upper open end of said inner casing member to guide a flow of air from the interior of said take-up cylinder member to said space between said inner and outer casing members.

3. Aspinning machine as claimed in claim 1, in which both said casing means and said exhaust pipe comprise a thermally insulating and sound absorbing material.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,916,830 7/1933 Etzkorn 57-77 2,242,682 5/1941 Schrenk 5776 X 2,459,346 1/ 1949 Thompson 57-76 2,484,882 10/1949 Haley 5776 3,030,761 4/ 1962 Negishi 57-76 X 3,086,348 4/1963 Fowler et al 57-56 3,174,270 3/1965 Blaschke 57-156 X FOREIGN PATENTS 545,679 3/1962 Germany.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A SPINNING MACHINE FOR TWISTING AND WINDING A BUNDLE OF FIBERS BY UTILIZING CENTRIFUGAL FORCE AND A FLOW OF AIR, A TAKE-UP UNIT COMPRISING A ROTATABLY DRIVEN HOLLOW TAKE-UP CYLINDER MEMBER FOR TWISTING AND WINDING A PLURALITY OF FIBERS ON THE INTERNAL PERIPHERAL SURFACE THEREOF BY THE ACTION OF THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCE CAUSED BY THE HIGH SPEED ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE CYLINDER MEMBER, A ROTARY SHAFT FOR DRIVING SAID CYLINDER MEMBER, AN OPEN END GUIDE TUBE OF RELATIVELY REDUCED DIAMETER DISPOSED TO BE INSERTED COAXIALLY INTO SAID TAKE-UP CYLINDER MEMBER FOR RELATIVELY RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT ALONG THE AXIS THEREOF AND OPERABLE TO INTRODUCE THE FIBERS TOWARD SAID INTERNAL PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID TAKE-UP CYLINDER MEMBER BY MEANS OF A FLOW OF AIR THERETHROUGH, CASING MEANS SURROUNDING THE GUIDE TUBE AND SAID TAKE-UP CYLINDER MEMBER, MEANS IN SAID CASING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A PORTION OF SAID ROTARY SHAFT FOR SAID TAKE-UP CYLINDER MEMBER AND A PORTION OF SAID GUIDE TUBE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID CASING MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY AIRTIGHT WITH SAID CASING MEANS, SAID CASING MEANS HAVING AN EXHAUST PORT SUFFICIENTLY LARGE IN AREA AND PRESENTING A LOW RESISTANCE TO A FLOW OF AIR THERETHROUGH, AN EXHAUST PIPE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID EXHAUST PORT, AN EXHAUST BLOWER MEANS, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE RATE OF FLOW OF AIR THROUGH SAID EXHAUST PIPE. 